Thursday, April 30, 1998 | 10:48 a.m.
The prospect of a new Las Vegas city manager has the City Council and department heads excited about their future, rather than worried about a new boss.
Earlier this week, a list of four candidates for the position was made public. City Manager Larry Barton resigned from his $127,000-a-year post on Feb. 1, but has been retained on a monthly basis until a replacement is found.
The finalists for the positions are: David Garcia, deputy city manager in Phoenix; J. Edward Tewes, city manager in Modesto, Calif.; Virginia Valentine, senior vice president at Post, Buckly, Schuh and Jernigan Inc. in Las Vegas; and Robert W. Parkins, city manager in Palm Springs, Calif.
Employees of the city who would work directly underneath the city manager -- like department heads and deputy city managers -- aren't concerned about getting a new boss.
"I'm sure it'll be a positive experience," said Ann Holland, a new deputy city manager. "I'm not scared. Any one of the candidates will be competent and offer substantial expertise and knowledge."
"There's an opportunity to go to another level of performance," said Rick Anderson, director of the city's Human Resources department. "There are many opportunities in the city we're facing."
"I'm looking forward to the experience," said Steve Houchens, deputy city manager. "There's a world of opportunities in the city and there's a lot to look forward to."
The words of sunshine aren't just kissing the ring of a supervisor-to-be. Sources at City Hall said that Barton hasn't done much of anything since announcing his retirement and he's even holding up some of the plans and projects of the department heads.
"Things will sit on his desk for months," said one department head, who asked not to be named. "It can take forever to get anything through his office."
"He's tired," said one department head, who asked not to be named. "He's worked a long time."
The mayor and City Council members also have complained about Barton's inability to get things done.
Deputy city managers will be most directly affected by the change, but they're even less worried than the department heads. The reason: In Houchens and Deputy City Manager Lynn Macy's contract it states that if a new city manager wants different deputies -- they get six months severance pay. Holland, who was just hired in February, isn't eligible for the pay yet.
The severance package for Macy and Houchens was just added a couple of months ago, when Barton announced his retirement. According to Anderson from the city's Human Resources department, it's not common for this kind of provision to be included but it's not unheard of.
Houchens said the severance package doesn't affect his desire to stay a deputy city manager at the city.
"I enjoy what I'm doing," he said. "But it's the right of a city manager to choose their assistants. I think it's a risk of the profession."
Macy could not be reached for comment.
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